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Nearly 25 years after the gruesome killing of close to one million Rwandans and displacement of nearly two million Rwandans, you would hardly know walking down the streets of Kigali that such a terrible tragedy occurred in the country’s recent history. Today, Rwanda is a well-organized, safe, and clean country – in fact beating out most large cities around the world, including my hometown of Chicago, on the safety and cleanliness scales. Indeed, Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa and shows its support for the environment in ways that are unheard of throughout much of the world, like banning plastic bags. It also has a strong infrastructure system compared to many of its neighbors, with paved roads throughout the capital and even some larger paved roads running across the country, which makes Rwanda an excellent country to explore by car. If you want the freedom of being able to explore Rwanda on your own time, then you’ll want to read on to learn everything you need to know about road tripping Rwanda with Self Drive Rwanda, my favorite car rental company in Rwanda.
Renting a Car With Self Drive Rwanda
The first thing you should know about renting a car in Rwanda is that while there are many paved roads throughout the country, there are also many unpaved roads. You will inevitably find yourself off-roading at one point or another, and with the lure of multiple safari options so close to the capital of Kigali, you’ll want a sturdy 4×4 to get you safely through all your adventures.
I rented a Toyota RAV4 through Self Drive Rwanda, and after driving that around Rwanda for almost a week, including on a self-guided safari to Akagera National Park, I am so impressed by the quality and sturdiness of the car that I am almost tempted to buy one for myself back home. My mom and I put that car through the ringer as we navigated through potholes in the middle of a forest during a rainstorm and “back roads” Google Maps took us down that were very clearly not made for cars, and our Toyota RAV4 held strong through all of that.
With so many car rental companies in Kigali all offering seemingly identical vehicles, it was at first confusing and a bit overwhelming for us to choose one company. After sifting through pages of reviews of different companies, I gathered that many car rental companies in Rwanda do not maintain the quality of their cars. It’s not unusual to find yourself with a rental car without A/C or with more serious issues that may leave you stranded on the side of the road. Thus, quality is what led us to ultimately choose Self Drive Rwanda, and we are so glad we did.
Picking Up and Dropping Off Your Car in Kigali
Chances are if you’re visiting Rwanda, your first stop will be Kigali, the capital. One thing I love about Self Drive Rwanda that I have never before experienced with any other car rental company is that they will actually send someone to pick you up at the Kigali airport and drive you to your hotel, where you can complete all your paperwork. The company will then send that same person back to pick up the car from you at your hotel at the end of your rental.
Driving in Rwanda
Be ready to drive on a variety of terrains in Rwanda
You’ll experience every type of terrain while driving in Rwanda – from very nicely paved roads with clearly delineated lane markers to paved roads without clearly delineated lane markers to cobblestone streets to straight up dirt roads. Most of the main roads across the country are paved, and most roads you find in Kigali will be paved as well, but venture out into the countryside a bit or even onto some smaller streets inside the city of Kigali and you’ll find yourself on red dirt roads, some littered with potholes. It’s nothing to worry about as long as you have a sturdy car, so just take it all in and enjoy the experience that locals refer to as an “African massage.”
A bumpy dirt road in Kigali
A cobblestone street in Kigali
If you have a self-guided safari on your agenda for your time in Rwanda, for example to Akagera National Park, you should definitely be prepared to drive more on dirt roads. If you’re visiting Rwanda during rainy season, be prepared for many of those potholes to fill up with water. When we drove ourselves through Akagera National Park on a self-guided safari, we actually got caught in the middle of a rainstorm while searching for elephants, and we were so glad we had a reliable SUV from Self Drive Rwanda to get us through the mud roads and puddles of water that had formed in the potholes along the road. That’s why, again, it is so important to find a reliable rental car company to rent your vehicle through, and it’s also important to invest in a larger vehicle (preferably 4 wheel drive) to ensure that you’ll be safe even when encountering unexpected terrains and weather.
A “nicer” part of the safari trail in Akagera National Park where we encountered some baboons
Do not drive at night in Rwanda
When we first arrived in Kigali, we were told by our host at Self Drive Rwanda that we were not permitted to drive after dark. Although we were confused about this at first, we quickly realized the rationale behind this rule when we got a bit lost on our way back from Akagera National Park to Kigali and ended up driving in the dark for the last 15 minutes or so of our journey. First of all, there are very few street lights in Rwanda outside of Kigali, and everyone drives with their high beams on at night, which is very blinding and dangerous if you’re not use to that. Secondly, if you’re out in the countryside on dirt roads with lots of potholes, you’ll have a hard time seeing road conditions in the dark, which, again, could be very dangerous. In general, to remain safe and abide by your rental car company’s instructions, try to plan ahead, give yourself some extra time to get from point A to point B, and avoid driving in the dark.
Don’t always trust Google Maps
When I drive in the U.S. (or really anywhere around the world), I rely 100% on my handy Google Maps app for directions. The problem I encountered in Rwanda is that Google Maps doesn’t always recognize an undriveable pothole-ridden dirt road turning down the side of a mountain from a smooth, paved road that’s comfortable and safe to drive on. So, unless you are interested in sacrificing your life for the thrill of driving down a cliff, I would recommend staying on the main roads, even when Google Maps is trying to redirect you on a “faster” route through smaller roads. This happened to us (again as we were driving back from Akagera National Park) and we ended up adding one hour onto our route time and many small heart attacks all because we wanted to shave off 5 minutes by going down the “fastest” route Google Maps laid out for us.
The terrain we drove down for an hour on Google Maps’ “fastest” route from Akagera National Park to Kigali
Be prepared for traffic in Kigali – but everyone is very nice
If you plan to drive around in Kigali, be prepared for traffic. There are many roundabouts in the city, but there are no rules for entering and exiting the roundabout. While you might think that a free-for-all roundabout situation in high traffic is a recipe for disaster, it actually is a lot smoother and safer of a process than you would imagine. The drivers in Rwanda are all very nice and will let you go when it looks to be most convenient for you to go rather than for them to push through, so you will get your turn, and you will make it through safely. Just go with the flow, observe what everyone else is doing, and follow in their footsteps.
A highly congested area in Kigali
Overall, driving in Rwanda is safe and enjoyable. Since the country is so small and there is so much to see outside of the capital of Kigali, I would strong recommend road tripping through Rwanda if you’re interested in really experiencing the local life and culture there. Just make sure you rent a larger vehicle through a reputable car rental company like Self Drive Rwanda, and take our guide to everything you need to know about road tripping Rwanda with Self Drive Rwanda with you on your trip. Most of all, enjoy your African massage and remember to have fun!
Looking for somewhere to stay in Kigali? Here’s why we think the Radisson Blu is the best hotel in Kigali.
Self Drive Rwanda
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A big thank you to Self Drive Rwanda for making our trip possible. As always, all opinions are 100% our own.
I really didn’t know that Rwanda was so safe and clean. I remember hearing about the country on the news all the time as a kid, and like you mentioned, it was all really terrible, heart breaking stuff. It’s good to read and see through your photos that it is recovering from all of that.
Most people don’t realize how much the country has turned itself around since the ’94 genocide, but it really is such a nice place to travel to nowadays. I hope more people are made aware of this and get to see this beautiful country for themselves!
I have never thought about Rwanda as a potential tourist destination for myself but reading the post with the pictures of the amazing view make me want to put it on my future destination list. And you did a really great job about what I’d need to know for traveling by car there so thank you!
Sounds like a wild ride! I hadn’t really considered Rwanda before, but it seems beautiful (and cars seem like a necessity!)
Those pictures are amazing! Those driving conditions look like quite a ride! I wouldn’t have picked Rwanda as a tourist destination, but your pictures look amazing and I was glad to read that it’s much safer and cleaner now!
I went on a two week road trip in Uganda a month ago, and did a small detour to Rwanda on our way to Congo. My friend and I both agreed we have to go back to Rwanda, so will absolutely consider renting a car and drive around on our own then. Thank you for sharing!
I’m pretty sure my life would be complete if a pack of baboons crossed the road in front of my car! That’s it, I’d never need to drive again! What a great way to explore Rwanda and to be free to visit the places that interest you the most!
Honestly, I didn’t know that Rwanda is a safe country now. And you proved it by doing a road trip and self-drive while you were there. And it’s a shocked, too, that the country bans plastic bags.
I was really surprised too, Umiko! They are so progressive thinking and environmentally friendly – at times I really felt like I was in Europe and not Africa. Few people know this about Rwanda!
Wow this is amazing! I am so envious. I would never have imagined doing something like this but you make it seem incredibly easy. Def saving this for later!
It really is so much easier and doable than most people imagine. Hope you make it to Rwanda soon to experience the beautiful country for yourself 🙂
I remember my time in Tanzania, and seeing all the uneven roads there. So, we only ever travelled in one of these 4×4 like your experience in Rwanda. I agree about not relying on Google Maps, sometimes it can get you more lost than when you started, especially abroad! I’d check out this company if I ever do a self-drive in Rwanda.
So the roads in Rwanda were actually 10x better than the roads in Tanzania! I don’t think I’m brave enough to drive in Tanzania just yet haha but driving in Rwanda was fine 🙂
I must admit I had even the slightest idea that Rwanda is so clean and maintained. I like the idea of a road trip and your highlighted tips will be helpful when I finally set foot there. I can relate to not driving in the night, there are a few rural villages I have been to in India with no lights except moonlight. So better safe than sorry later.
Wow, ladies I’ve never thought about road tripping in Rwanda but after reading this article I can’t wait to go 😀 I also had no idea that Rwanda is considered one of the safest countries in Africa, thanks so much for writing about such an often overlooked country like this!
This was very informational post. I have never been in Rwanda or didn’t know that it would be safe there to rent a car and drive around. Driving makes trips so much more flexible and fun. I can only imagine how you must of felt when driving in dark that one night. Other thank that, looks like you guys had a lot of fun.
To be honest, I never would have considered a self-guided car tour of Rwanda, but now I think it’s definitely a possibility. I loved your descriptions of all the different terrain types, and especially your experience driving at night. I’m surprised Rwanda has such a different driving culture, especially how polite they are with the round abouts. Nice read, thank you!
Of course the first time I ever heard of Rwanda, it was related to the genocide. I’m glad to hear that it is a clean and safe place now. I don’t know how to drive but I’d love to go visit Rwanda. It’s good to know that the roads are not safe at night.
Thanks for all the tips. I think it is necessary to be well prepared to drive through all Rwanda with a car and you explain it very well. I would love to do it, it should be such a nice experience
Quite interesting. Yes, there are places where Google Maps gives a very weird sense of direction and we could get lost following it. I’ve experienced it in India.
Thanks for the tip about not driving at night and about the street conditions.
I would personally not consider self-driving in foreign countries. It just freaks me out. I’ve tried that just once!
I was not knowing that Rwanda is the most safe country of Africa. Thanks for sharing wonderful information about the hidden gem of Africa. You have provided necessary information on road trip and renting car trips. Driving through Akagera National Park to Kigali must be picturesque ride.
This is such a post for my soul ☺️☺️ I absolutely love driving and I do it every time I can ? I would absolutely love to visit Rwanda. It sounds like such an amazing place and those sceneries seem to be great! Bookmarked this for future reference ?? Safe travels!
Please can you give me details of your itinerary… am thinking of going with a friend in April and would like to know where to go and approximate drive times so I can cost it out.
Thanks!
Hey Gilly, here’s what our itinerary looked like:
Day 1: We didn’t arrive in Kigali until evening, so after checking into our hotel (Radisson Blu – would highly recommend it), we just walked to a nearby restaurant called The Hut, which has delicious food, great service, and a really cool ambience.
Day 2: We took a cooking class in the morning at a local’s home. We booked the class through the Nyamirambo Women’s Center, a nonprofit organization that helps women. After our class, we had a guide from the center take us on a walking tour of the neighborhood, and we learned a lot about the history of Kigali and Rwanda. Then, we checked out a local art gallery, which also does great work for the community. They teach “street kids” art and help them sell their art.
Day 3: We decided to drive to Akagera National Park and do a self guided safari tour there. The drive from our hotel in Kigali to Akagera took approximately 2.5 hours, and we spend about 6 hours at the park. I would recommend hiring a safari guide when you get there because you’ll get to see a lot more animals that way, since the guides are a lot more knowledgeable about where to find the animals than you are.
Day 4: We spent the day touring around Kigali. We visited the Genocide Museum, Hotel de Mille Collines (“Hotel Rwanda”), and checked out some coffee shops near the city centre and the university.
Day 5: We took a day trip out to a small town about 1 hour southwest of Kigali to visit a family I had been sponsoring through Compassion for the last 10 years.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Just can’t wait to be in Rwanda. I need to visit Mimy; my friend.
Hi Diana. Thanks for this info. How much did you pay for your rental? Or did Self Drive Rental comp you?
Hi Chris,
We paid $58 USD per day for a Toyota Rav4. We were also given the option of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado for $88 USD per day.
Hope this helps!